Posted on 09/17/2011 6:48:05 AM PDT by markomalley
In recent months, the Obama Justice Department and Democrats on Capitol Hill have mounted a full-scale assault on state voter identification laws. Accusing Republicans of trying to return to the days of Jim Crow, Democrats allege that the laws, many of which require a photo ID for voting, discriminate against blacks and Hispanics. But an extensive new poll of Hispanic voters in the key electoral states of Florida, Colorado, and New Mexico shows strong support for those very photo ID laws.
As part of a broad survey of Hispanic attitudes on a variety of political issues, the poll, conducted for the conservative group Resurgent Republic, asked a sample of 1,200 voters the following question: "As you may have heard, many states are considering laws that would require registered voters to present photo identification, such as a driver's license, in order to cast their vote. Do you support or oppose those laws?"
In Florida, 88 percent of those surveyed said they support the laws, while just ten percent oppose them. In Colorado 71 percent support the law, while 26 percent oppose, and in New Mexico, 73 percent support the law, while 25 percent oppose. In general, Hispanic voters in Colorado and New Mexico are more liberal than those in Florida. But strong majorities in all three states favor photo ID laws.
The overwhelming support for photo ID contrasts sharply with the intense opposition to such laws in the Justice Department, the Democratic party, and the civil rights establishment. In June, Democratic National Committee chairman Debbie Wasserman Schultz called voter ID laws the work of Republicans "who want to literally drag us all the way back to Jim Crow laws and literally -- and very transparently -- block access to the polls to voters who are more likely to vote Democratic."
Also in June, a group of Democratic senators, including Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, asked the Justice Department to investigate state photo ID laws. "These measures have the potential to block millions of eligible American voters," the Democratic lawmakers wrote. The senators asked the Justice Department to use its authority under the Voting Rights Act to "closely monitor the legislative process" in states that have passed or are considering passing photo ID laws and to "track any unlawful intent" of proponents of the laws. The laws "must be subjected to the highest scrutiny as states justify these new barriers to participation," the senators wrote. Testifying at a Senate hearing on September 13, Justice Department Civil Rights Division chief Thomas Perez said the Department has begun those investigations and is scrutinizing not just the laws themselves but the motives of those who passed them to discover whether "there is a discriminatory purpose that underlies any action in any state."
And now comes word that strong majorities of Hispanic voters, at least in three key states, support those laws. That's unlikely to change anything; given the institutional power behind it, the fight against photo ID laws will undoubtedly continue for years. But the new polls shows that among Hispanic voters at least, Democrats don't have the public on their side.
When we have a GOP president and control of Congress next year, it’s time to repeal the Voting Rights Act...The CBC and the left will scream..but they’ll scream at anything we do..time to get it done..
Ahh, Byron. Florida already has a voter ID law. I have to show my government issued ID (Drivers license / Military ID) every time I vote. You really need to research your stories better.
doesn’t matter, the pubies will listen to la raza.
If we treated voter fraud like the treason it is and prosecuted it accordingly, we’d have a lot less of it.
Recently I’ve loved slamming Byron York as much as anyone, but in this case, I don’t see that there’s a conflict. There is nothing in the poll or in the reporting that distinguishes areas where those laws are already in effect versus those where the law would be new.
It simply says that Hispanics favor state laws that require ID in those states.
Just curious...I usually find your posts pretty much on point, so I’m wondering what your problem is with York. I find him among the better writers/talking heads..
I always post this and I will continue to post until they stop with the RIDICULOUS premise that HISPANICS are a group that can be MEASURED. When they poll, do they lump Ausralians together with New Zealanders, the British and Canadians because they speak English? That is ALL that unites the so called “hispanics”. Cubans, Dominicans, Mexicans, Colombians.....need I go on? Culturally and socially they have little in common other than their language. Stop writing about them as if they are some sort of “ VOTING BLOCK “
All of whom need ID's to write or cash checks, including SS checks, drivers licenses to drive, to fly...........
Thanks for comments — on York:
I always respected York’s work until about a month ago. His question to Bachmann on the “submission to your husband” issue in the Fox debate was just dreadful and inexcusable. That got my radar alerted.
Then his inside the beltway worrying about - GASP - Rick Perry’s use of the term ponzi - has further eroded my respect for him. Then he ends up writing another piece being shocked that seniors aren’t worried about Perry’s use of ponzi terminology.
I guess I feel like he’s drifted to the dark side after living in Washington for too long.
We’ve got a “must ask” law in Michigan. They have to ask but you don’t have to show. However if you don’t show an ID your ballot becomes a provisional or contested ballot and is effectively rendered useless.
Now our problem is that the feds are fighting us on trying to purge dead and illegal voters from the voter rolls.
York, from what I have seen, is for Romney, hence the direction of many of his recent columns.
I think your over all philosophy that it is wrong / misleading to lump folks together is correct - but with regard to the specifics I think you may be missing a few points.
Hispanics I think are much more homogenous than the other groups you mentioned, and most are from Mexico, most less than a full generation, and most are here for one of only two reasons. I think they do act in a lot of ways like a block. And with regards to opinions on a specific issue, I think it is valid to survey demographics. Retailers do it all the time and its a valuable tool.
Not sure If I've read his pieces about the "Ponzi" references..they all tend to blur together...but was it HIS opinion, or was he stating the obvious that Perry's comments worry RINOs...and was he reporting that RINOs were shocked that seniors weren't worried..
He's always been pretty careful to keep his opinions out of his columns...he's a reporter..not a columnist/analyst...
He is more opinion now from what I can tell, as evidenced by some of his Fox News appearances where he is there clearly for his opinion. On the ponzi issue, he was parrotting the inside the beltway establishment talking points. I am particularly sensitive to anyone who does that.
Somehow, Debbie Blabbermouth Schultz omitted a key word.
I live in NYC where the groups that you mention are hardly “homogenous” and resent being lumped together. In addition, Mexicans are NOT in the majority in NYC. The entire premise is flawed in that the don’t consider how many generations the “hispanics” have been here. Oh yeah...throw the Filipinos into the mix, as a significant percentage have Spanish surnames and are frequently included in these “surveys”.
I guess I feel like hes drifted to the dark side after living in Washington for too long.
The quickest way to demon possession is to live and work in the District of Criminals. (Dan 10:20; Eph 6:12)
You live in NYC? Well that explains a lot. You are projecting to the rest of the nation (do you think there are 57 states) with typical NY know it all arrogance what you have noticed in your bubble. Nothing about your bubble resembles any other part of America in the least.
In the majority of the country where hispanic labor is a major force, the majority are from Mexico and their habits and beliefs are indeed somewhat homogenous. At least homogenous enough to where this poll on this particular issue, where the conventional wisdom would have led us to believe they think otherwise, is at least worthy of mention.
Besides, from a practical standpoint, we know how NYC will vote for the next 500 years. Talk about homogenous.
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